


Brave

by dianawritesfic



Series: IT Tumblr Ask Prompts [3]
Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, M/M, Semi-Canon Compliant, get those tissues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 21:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20234776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dianawritesfic/pseuds/dianawritesfic
Summary: He was trembling. Despite the darkness surrounding them, and the shitty dim light of the flashlight he was holding, Richie could tell that Eddie was trembling with fear. He wanted nothing more than to reach out, touch him, hold him. He wanted to tell Eddie that everything would be alright, that they would get through this.





	Brave

He was trembling. Despite the darkness surrounding them, and the shitty dim light of the flashlight he was holding, Richie could tell that Eddie was trembling with fear. He wanted nothing more than to reach out, touch him, hold him. He wanted to tell Eddie that everything would be alright, that they would get through this.

Richie couldn’t do that. He couldn’t do that because he wasn’t sure what waited for them within the bowels of the shitty Derry sewer. He couldn’t do that because if everything didn’t turn out alright, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

Admittedly, Richie was just as scared as Eddie. He didn’t show it the way Eddie did, physically and blatantly. No, Richie kept his emotions, his feelings, to himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t want his friends to know how scared and vulnerable he felt. He knew they needed an anchor, especially Eddie. Someone who could ease their racing, anxious thoughts. 

Perhaps that’s why he tended to make jokes in completely inappropriate situations. He knew, without a doubt, that his friends would roll their eyes and groan at his dumb jokes. Complain about his lack of filter and utter a ‘beep beep Richie’ in order to shut him up. He wanted them to do that. If the only way to distract his friends from their own self-destructive thoughts was to channel their frustrations on to him, he would do it in a heartbeat. So he does.

“Eddie…” He moves to grab onto the sleeve of Eddies sweater, stopping him from moving forward. “Eds, look at me.”

Eddie pauses and Richie can now feel, rather than just see, the way he’s trembling. It breaks his heart to see Eddie like this. He wants nothing more than to wrap him up in a tight hug, push him out of the sewer, and tell him not to look back. He can’t do that though. He can’t do that because despite how scared Eddie is, Richie knows he would never abandon his friends.

So he pulls Eddie towards him, grabbing his shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes. He squeezes Eddies shoulder blades gently, but with a firmness that’s meant to comfort him, make him feel safe. A firmness that’s meant to tell Eddie that’s he’s here, and always will be, by his side. 

“You’re braver than you think.” Richie says with such finality, with no room for objection. “I need you to know that Eddie. I need you to understand that. I need you to see it.”

Eddie continues to tremble, maybe even a little bit more than before. Richie can’t read the expression Eddies giving him and it puts him on edge. Did he just make things worse rather than better? All he wants is for Eddie to realize just how brave he is. How brave all of the other losers know he is. He’s put up with so much in his life, overcome so much, that there’s no way he could be anything but brave in this unfortunate situation they’ve found themselves in. 

“Listen, Eddie I-”

Before he can even tell Eddie that he’s sorry for saying anything, sorry for potentially making him even more scared, Eddie’s arms are around him and he’s claiming Richie’s lips in a quick kiss. Richie doesn’t know how to react, too shocked to even process the situation and before he even has a chance to reciprocate, Eddie’s pulling away. 

He takes a moment to think about how right he was. How right he was to believe in Eddie’s bravery. Richie would have never had the courage to kiss Eddie without firm confirmation that he felt the same way. Then again, maybe, just maybe, he had been more transparent with his feelings than he had thought.

Richie wants nothing more than to tell Eddie how he really feels, how he’s felt all these years. He can’t bring himself to do it. Not when it could potentially be the first and last time he says this to Eddie. Either of them could die tonight and he doesn’t want the last thing for either of them to hear is something that could leave them regretful of all the time they lost. All the time they could have had together. 

Instead, he pulls him back in, once again connecting their lips. Richie kisses him deeply, holds him as close as possible, hoping this is enough to convey to Eddie just how strongly he feels for him. He doesn’t dare to say the words because unlike Eddie, he’s a coward. 

“I love you Richie.” Eddie says as they break away. He isn’t trembling any more and the look in his eye is more determined now, more sure. “I always have and I want you to know that.”

Turns out, Richie thinks, Eddie is brave enough for the both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi how you feeling? Let me know in the comments! :’)
> 
> I’m on tumblr @reddieclownclub


End file.
